Tank in unfinished basement

[islandreef]

Hey guys quick question. I have a 135 on the second floor of my house. I got a deal on a 300 but do not want to put it on the second floor. I know I could reinforce the floor from the basement, but tank is so big, it will be overpowering where I would need to put it. There is an ideal spot in my unfinished basement, is there anything I should be concerned about with putting it in an unfinished basement? Down there is usually cooler than the outside temp. Let me know.

 

[blaxsun]

I have a 200-gallon setup in my (finished) basement, but it’s also cooler than the main floor. I haven’t had any real challenges - just make sure you have a good, reliable heater (or heaters) that are sized for your tank (since you’ll be getting less of a benefit from ambient temperature).

 

[DaneGer21]

I’d say as long as you don’t store any harsh chemicals or fuels, which you shouldn’t be anyways, it would be fine.

Although, is it in an area where it won’t get attention? “Out of site out of mind” could play in and possibly lose interest on something you can’t sit around comfortably and enjoy

 

[kalare]

Unfinished would mean not conditioned space? 300g is a bit of water so i would watch your humidity and provide a proper dehumidifier if necessary or you could end up with mold.

 

[islandreef]

Unfinished would mean not conditioned space? 300g is a bit of water so i would watch your humidity and provide a proper dehumidifier if necessary or you could end up with mold.

Understood, will check on that for sure.

 

[islandreef]

I’d say as long as you don’t store any harsh chemicals or fuels, which you shouldn’t be anyways, it would be fine.

Although, is it in an area where it won’t get attention? “Out of site out of mind” could play in and possibly lose interest on something you can’t sit around comfortably and enjoy

I’d say as long as you don’t store any harsh chemicals or fuels, which you shouldn’t be anyways, it would be fine.

Although, is it in an area where it won’t get attention? “Out of site out of mind” could play in and possibly lose interest on something you can’t sit around comfortably and enjoy

No harsh chemicals down there.....

 

[Kershaw]

Can you just finish your basement? Maybe make it some place you will enjoy hanging out.

You could even do a mini split and it will heat cool and dehumidify.

 

[Ocelaris]

Yeah, if you can keep the cement from absorbing humidity, that's ideal. We finished ours about 5 years ago and I now have a 250 gallon down there, but we are there all the time, especially in the winter. I would say finish the basement first before putting a semi-permanent tank down there.

What we did: glue some Polystyrene sheets (pink) 2" thick to the cement, then frame over that, then seal the rim joist above to keep the critters and outside air out. Ventilate with an ERV, run a dehumidifier/mini-split to temper the moisture/heat as it now is well sealed.

Even if you don't go to that length, try and do anything you would do later to the tank area ahead of time. For example we put down "click" engineered flooring under the tank. After a flood we had to rip all the flooring up, and take down the tank (spoiler, I got a bigger tank). The new tank sits on an epoxy coated floor which held up nicely after hurricane Ida dumped hundreds of gallons down there last week.

 

[islandreef]

With the current price of materials these days, finishing my basement which would have costs us about 25 - 30k 5 years ago, is now running almost 60k. So nope not doing that just to setup my tank.

Can you just finish your basement? Maybe make it some place you will enjoy hanging out.

You could even do a mini split and it will heat cool and dehumidif

 

[islandreef]

Yeah, if you can keep the cement from absorbing humidity, that's ideal. We finished ours about 5 years ago and I now have a 250 gallon down there, but we are there all the time, especially in the winter. I would say finish the basement first before putting a semi-permanent tank down there.

What we did: glue some Polystyrene sheets (pink) 2" thick to the cement, then frame over that, then seal the rim joist above to keep the critters and outside air out. Ventilate with an ERV, run a dehumidifier/mini-split to temper the moisture/heat as it now is well sealed.

Even if you don't go to that length, try and do anything you would do later to the tank area ahead of time. For example we put down "click" engineered flooring under the tank. After a flood we had to rip all the flooring up, and take down the tank (spoiler, I got a bigger tank). The new tank sits on an epoxy coated floor which held up nicely after hurricane Ida dumped hundreds of gallons down there last week.

Who ever layed out our basement must have known I would like a tank there, there is a small room at the back of the basement that has full view of the entire basement, you cant do much else with it LOL perfect size to put the tank and have room to make it a full functioning fish room, I can put a door on it and call it a day.

 

[Kershaw]

With the current price of materials these days, finishing my basement which would have costs us about 25 - 30k 5 years ago, is now running almost 60k. So nope not doing that just to setup my tank.

I assume that’s paying some one to do it for you? How big is your basement
I replaced all the perimeter sheet rock In my house due to a mold issue for under 1k add In 1k for lumber. But do you, if I had a basement and a big butt tank in there I would want to make that place nice!!
good luck

 

[Ocelaris]

Material prices are through the roof these days. Do whatever you can't later because of the tank. Run extra power circuits, do the floor, run pipe to the sink/water change station etc... We all have constraints, but sometimes we do the best we can at the time. Just take care of stuff you won't be able to do later.

 

[ZoWhat]

I can tell you where NOT to put it....

No where near your furnace.

Salt creep and dry salt mix getting into the air RUSTED out my furnace about 5 years ago. The furnace was near the end of its life anyway....but spouse was very "urinated-off"

Spouse forced me under great pressure to build a enclosed fishroom, sealing the air away from the furnace area.

Fine by me.... I was able to build a man cave / dedicated fishroom where no one in the house ever ventures.

It's a place I can escape to when tensions in the house are mounting. But more importantly, focus on my hobby, testing, maintenance, etc....while rarely getting interrupted! Praise God

<sidenote> always put a lock on your fishroom door where you can lock ppl out while you are in there. Lololololololololol
.

 

[sergifed91]

I have my dt in the basement. The only real problem I have is flooding in my basement. I actually have a subpump down there now. And 2 extra sub pumps installed after a few years ago. After I had 3 feel of rain water in the basement. Sewer was full the yard looked like a river for two nights straight. The water came through the windows and through the sewer backed up. It was a mess.so I got two pumps installed in case it happens again.

 

[islandreef]

Here is the Space, you see my Sump and Fuge all ready to go. Tell me thats not a space that was made for it. LOL

 

[ZoWhat]

Great space... two things

>>> you may want to consider before finishing the room... to have the room independently vented / mitigated outside the house, both ways, in and out. Mitigation companies are great at this. It will allow fresh outside air in and raise your pH. And second, displaces odors, humidity and corrosive salt that can rust out furnaces

I'd insulate the walls and staple a sheet of plastic in whole, to create a VAPOR BARRIER!!!

>>> Put a LOCK on that door!

First, it keeps ppl out, like your kids friends roaming the house and screwing around with your tank and chemicals.

Second, it provides some what of a Panic Room or a Tornado Shelter for the Family during distress (just make sure you get a cell signal in there).

Third, locking ppl pit while you are in there is a great ESCAPE for you to focus on testing and maintenance while keeping Spouses and family member O U T. My fishroom is a "solace place" for me.



.

 

[dennis romano]

Here is the Space, you see my Sump and Fuge all ready to go. Tell me thats not a space that was made for it. LOL

Great space. With my room, I sealed all cracks with hydraulic cement and epoxy. Painted the walls with a water protective paint like Dri Lok. My neighborhood has a high water table so doing all that was a big help. Then, I put up an inch of foam insulation to keep the area warm. Finished it with anti-mold dry wall with plastic trim along the bottom. Use pressure treated 2x4 for the bottom plate of the framing or put a plastic strip between the bottom plate and concrete. That way water won't wick into the wood through the concrete